It's been a while since I've written, so what better topic for a return post than my favorite team making a deal for Shaquille ?

Is it a good deal or bad, that's the question we are all asking.  Lakers fans are throwing up their hands in joy at this "sign of fear" due to the Gasol trade, other fans are trying to understand why anyone would want Shaq at this point of his career anyways.

What will the Suns expect out of Shaq, anyways?  Defense?  Not really, that's not their strength anyways and mid season is not the time to change from an offensive mindset to a defensive one.  Offense?  Not really, even with the loss of Marion they have more than enough talent to offset his loss (They just put up 130 points tonight without Marion OR Shaq).

So what do they want out of this trade anyways?  Simple.  A big body, something they just don't have.  When Baron Davis comes blazing down the lane headed to the hole with the rock, instead of the matador defense the Suns have played in the past, now there's a big brick wall waiting in that lane for Davis to bounce off of. 

When Tim Duncan comes to town in the fourth quarter he's not going to have a much smaller Amare on his back, he's got a 325lb man draped over him.  Shaq doesn't have to do much more than BE A PRESENCE.  That is what the Suns want, a presence.  They do not have one now.

Imagine last year, would Robert Horry have dared try that hipcheck on Nash knowing he might have to face Shaq sometime later in the series?  It's not his offense or his defense that Steve Kerr wants, it's the presence.  Sometimes just the idea of a 7 foot tall 325lb man waiting in the wings will cause people to change their plans, to go with option B instead of option A.  Those teams that have that option (Spurs, Mavs, Lakers (now), and Suns (now)) Have the ability to play a game that can be either full or half court depending on what the tone of the game demands. 

Pre-Shaq, the Suns couldn't do much in the half court, they might win the odd game or two playing that style but it was always a struggle.  With the Shaq trade they gain the ability to at least have a presence in the half court sets, which means those teams like the Spurs and Jazz who favor a true half court game now have to account for this in their gameplanning.

Right now the rule for the Suns is to get em in the half court and #### on Amare until he gets in foul trouble then get him out of the game.  Then pound the middle until they break.  The Suns have had no counter for this, and it's cost them in each of the last several playoff runs, not to mention many of their games so far this season.

Now they have another option in the middle, much bigger, much stronger, and nearly immobile.  He doesn't have to run the court, he just has to play the game he is playing now, put up 14 pts a night (Marion's average is 18, nearly a wash), Be a presence in the middle against the other centers of the league, and let Nash, Amare, Hill, Diaw and Bell carry the rest of the load.  He doesn't have to be the Shaq of old, he can be an old Shaq with this team, and it can still work.

As for Marion, he gets what he's always wanted, a team where he can be #1 or #2 as needed.  I love his game, and I wish him the very best, but without a real point guard to feed him the ball, he's going to find some nights longer than the one's he has had here in Phoenix.  I still think this will be good for him, as he is a hugely overlooked talent.

Good trade?  For this team with this window, yes it is.  They have 2 maybe 3 years left before rebuilding will be mandatory, and I think this team with Shaq can probably win at least one title in that time.  Maybe not this year, but next year I think they have a real shot.

Let's see, shall we?  Give it time, maybe Steve Kerr really does know what he's doing.

It's been a while since my last posting, new job, lots of personal **** going on, but I've still managed to slip in and watch a few NBA games here and there this season, and now that the All Star break is coming up soon I thought I would throw out some of my thoughts regarding various teams - no specific orders, no axes to grind, just some blunt and straightforward thoughts...(And yes Im using the Harry Potter grading system, it's much more fun!)

Los Angeles Lakers: I have to admit, they have been impressing me so far this season.  I still don't think they will be able to keep this up for the whole road, but they'll make the playoffs and if they are playing then like they are now (or better), I feel sorry for the team that gets them!  Im an admitted Kobe hater, but in the 4 games Ive seen him play this year Ive asked myself "who is this guy and what's he done with Kobe Bryant?"  He's dishing, he's rebounding, he's TRUSTING his teammates!  I've been so amazed by all this it's even had me wonder if all the trade rumors and I want outta LA talk at the season's beginning was a secret plot with Kobe and Phil to rally the other team members!  So far so good for Laker Lovers, lets see how it holds up for the rest of the season is my only caveat.  GRADE O (Outstanding)

Miami Heat: Oh how the mighty have fallen.  Miami had all the makings of a dynasty, a solid core group of powerful veterans in Shaq, Zo and Wade, and a good group of role players, this team was ripe and ready to bring in some young talent through the draft and prepare for the inevitable passing of the torch, instead they stuck with basically the same team that won the championship and let father time pass them by.  It's truly a pity that the last two dominant big men we will ever see, Shaq and Zo, will end up their careers on such a down note, when there was SO much promise in the beginning.  Look for a 5 year rebuilding period before Miami even comes close to climbing out of the cellar.  GRADE T (Troll)

Phoenix Suns: It's been an unusual year for my team, no question.  Rumblings all around about discord, and there they sit in first place in the west, go figure.  Offensively the Suns can hang with anyone and beat anyone with the possible exception of a healthy Golden State or Hornets team.  Defensively there seems to be a bit more of an edge, Ive noticed.  They seem to be willingly giving up some games to work on their defense and then make up for it the next night with their standard offensive dominance.  After three successive years in the Western finals, I find myself wondering if D'Antoni is finally working on his bench and his defense to make a serious run at the Spurs and Mavericks of the world.  The problem is, I have a sneaking su####ion neither of those teams will be in the Western Finals this year, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Hornets or Lakers there.  GRADE E (Exceeds Expectations)

Boston Celtics: They play a weak schedule, and dominate.  They go .500 against each team that beats them.  They have the same formula that Miami used to win the title a few years ago (3 power players with a series of role players), and people are looking to find out what's wrong with this team.  While I am not a huge Celtic fan, I am a fan of good basketball, and this team is playing some of the best overall B-Ball Ive seen in years.  They are like the Anti-Spurs, proving you can play defense and make it exciting at the same time!  Do I think they will keep up this pace?  Not a chance, they will have a few slips and slides along the way.  Do I think they will be in the Eastern finals?  Absolutely.  GRADE O (Outstanding)

Detroit Pistons: After the debacle that was the Cavaliers series last year, this team could have folded its tent and completely rebuilt, but Joe Dumars and Flip Saunders were smarter than that, they knew their guys still had some legs, they just needed a bit more support from their bench, and voila!  More bench time, fresher starters!  Look at it this way, their starters are playing an average of 8 minutes per game less than last year, which if you add that up over 82 games means they will have play about 9 games less this year than last year, meanwhile they are dominating the league.  A seven game series of Boston and Detroit might be the best thing to happen to the NBA since the old Laker/Celtics series in the early 80's - I know I'd pay for a ticket, and I dont even LIKE the Pistons!  GRADE E (Exceeds Expectations)

Chicago Bulls: I must admit I am NOT surprised at how the Bulls are playing this year.  Last playoffs I remember talking to a friend of mine when the Bulls lost that if they didnt get some inside presence in the offseason they were going ot be bottom of the barrel at BEST, and it's been pretty much as I thought I would be.  The Bulls made the cardinal mistake of believing their press clippings, not realizing they played well above their collective abilities last year.  Firing Scott Skiles was an expected move, but overall it's a useless gesture.  The Bulls will make the playoffs, but are a first round sweep waiting to happen for the Celtics and Pistons of the league.  Its a pity, though, because they are just 2 or 3 pieces away from being a real power.  GRADE P (Poor)

Portland Trailblazers: WOW!  This is a team of the future, no question about it.  When they get a bit older, a bit more seasoned, and get 100% healthy, this is the team that will dominate the Western Conference after the Spurs' age finally makes them drop off the Title radar.  They play exciting, energetic, fan friendly ball with just enough defense to make you realize that when they "grow up" and become veterans they will have little or no competition in defense or offense.  They have made Portland a fun team again, and can even make some of us forget about the "Jailblazers".  GRADE: E (Exceeds Expectations)

Dallas Mavericks: I will wrap this blog up with Big D, which for me means Big Disappointment.  I just can't get a handle on this team anymore it seems.  Last year they played all 82 regular season games at a Playoff intensity, only to find they didn't have another gear to move in to when OTHER teams (Golden State) played at THEIR intensity level.  This year they just seem to be going through the motions, it almost seems like they are afraid to get on a huge roll like they did last year because they wont have anything to draw upon come playoff time.  Jason Terry seems to be the only Mav playing with anything resembling energy and desire, Dirk looks like a statue most of the time, and Avery looks like he too is trying to figure out just what the hell this team is thinking.  They are playing like a team afraid to succeed, and unless they get it together during the 2nd half of the season this is another playoff debacle just waiting to happen.  GRADE A (Acceptable)

Last minute thoughts: 

Is it just me or does Isiah Thomas have to have some incriminating film of the Knicks' owner fornicating with various farm animals in order to keep his job?   I have never seen such incompetence rewarded with continued employment in over 30 years of watching the NBA. 

Speaking of incompetence, isn't it about time someone in Minnesota told Kevin McHale it's the 21st century now, you can draft big men and use your free agent money to bring in GOOD players?

I keep hoping Baron Davis' body holds up for the entire season and playoffs, he's one of the best point guards to ever play the game, but never got his due because of his continued health problems.  GOOD LUCK BARON!!!

You would think that before the Seattle Sonics move they would at least ensure they will give their new city a truly competetive product.  Durant's the only reason people watch this team right now, and he's going to probably end up like LeBron, a great player with VERY mediocre talent around him that he will have to make look like stars night in and night out.

Jason Kidd's mustache makes him look like Joe Pantoliano's long lost twin brother.  Shave that thing JK!!

So, the inevitable has finally happened, Kobe wants out..oh no, maybe he doesn't want out, or make that a maybe I want out, maybe I want in...

First off, yeah, I'm not Kobe's biggest fan (read my bio), but the Lakers are one of my favorite teams, so I have learned to live with him, so to speak.  But I have never, for one moment, trusted this man's motives as being "for the team".  Let's take a good look at this man's career, shall we ? 

First off, he is drafted right out of high school, where he was tearing up the high school leagues and making heads turn in the NBA as the second coming of Jordan.  The Lakers manage to get their hands on him, and within 2 years he is basically controlling the offensive flow, along with this big dude named Shaq.   Initially, things are fine between the two of them, Kobe was still in his "Im a rookie" phase, while Shaq was the big name and the big superstar. 

Kobe's game suddenly begins to grow by leaps and bounds, as he has both the innate skills and the veteran teammates around him to help him thru the rough edges.  Then comes the "Boo-Star" appearance. 

For those who have forgotten, this was when Kobe was supposed to make his big "coming out" moments, in his home town, against Jordan of all people, and against some of the best of the NBA's aging veterans.  Kobe gives a strong performance, but is regularly booed by his hometown crowd, and when he was named MVP, the boo-birds were out in force, and this for a hometown boy made good?  What did they know that we didnt, perhaps...

I have never, for one moment, forgotten the look in Kobe's eyes that night as he accepted his MVP award.  They were not the eyes of a man grateful for being given one of the highest "unnofficial" awards in the NBA, nor the eyes of a penitent rookie who just made his mark, they were the eyes of a man who had seemingly made a choice to stuff those boos down the throats of those who were making them, they were the eyes of someone who decided this was no longer the time to play the team game, it was time to play the game Kobe's way.

It is from this moment that I mark the rise of the Kobe First rules, that have seemingly governed the Lakers franchise ever since.  The Kobe First rules are basically simple - whatever makes Kobe happy first is what will happen.  If you want proof, just look at a relatively small thing that happened during his rape trial (I do think he was innocent of rape, BTW, that was so obviously a wanna-be groupie who was out for money is was scary).  He COMPLAINS about the kind of airplane the Lakers GAVE him to fly back and forth for his legal proceeedings!  COMPLAINS!!  When I first read that I was amazed that Jerry Buss didnt just take Kobe over his knee and give him a good old fashioned spanking for god's sake!  But no, they caved in again, just as they always do.

I wont even get in to the details of the infamous Shaq/Kobe/Jackson triangle (Talk about a triangle offense, this was an offensive triangle).  Suffice it to say tho, that one again the Kobe First rules came in to play, and he not only got rid of Shaq, but Phil too, all because the team was not "Kobe's Team" it was Shaq's or Phil's.  Kobe lovers can frost this particular cake all they want to, but look beyond the partisanship and see what was really cooking here. 

The Laker's hitched their wagons, voluntarily, to Kobe Bryant.  Basically one of the most storied NBA franchises was placed in the hands of a young man with an ego problem.   And this was done willingly folks, never for a moment forget that. 

Now what's happened, the Lakers are given a trade-me demands by Kobe, and then he gets wishy washy about it.  It's another ploy in the Kobe First rules, don't kid yourselves.  Kobe knows darn good and well that if he goes to another team, there might actually be some people who are NOT willing to abide by the Kobe First rules, and he might just have to suck it up and become a full-fledged team player for once, as well as having teammates who won't be willing to stand by and let Kobe control the game for 3 quarters, and then suddenly have to bail the Lakers out when Kobe's legs are gone.   For once, he would not be the center of attention as he is now, hence the sudden wishy-washy attitude.

The Trade-Me demand is a ploy, a way to get the Laker's front office to do what he wants or he threatens to take his ball and go home.  The sudden 180  he did is his way of saying well, ok, if you really mean it, I might stay...but only if you really mean it, but I still might take my ball and go home, just remember that.

What is SO sad about all of this is that the Lakers asked for this all along.  They gave this young man the keys to the franchise, and now they are reaping what they have sown.  I love the Lakers, always have (except when they play my Suns), but I have not been a Kobe fan ever since that day when he won his first All-Star MVP.  He went from being a young man with the talent and desire to be even better than Jordan, to being a bitter man who made a CHOICE to be the best one on one player the NBA ever saw, rather than being the best all around player and teammate the NBA ever saw. 

If I were the Lakers ?  Call his bluff, for once.  Trade him.  Send him to another team, and get back to rebuilding your franchise, even if it takes another 5 years, use the lottery and trades to rebuild a new, young core of talented TEAMMATES and let Phill Jackson do what he does best, take raw talent and turn it in to a winning team around one or two young star players, you'll be back in the conference finals, maybe the NBA finals, in 5 years or less.

Unfortunately, the chances of this happening are next to zero.  Kobe's contract alone is a huge obstacle, and there are few GMs out there who would be willing to put up with the Kobe First rules.  I hope I am wrong on this, but with the exception of the Shaq trade, the NBA has proven itself helplessly redundant about giving in to it's mega-stars demands.  Kobe does not want a trade, don't kid yourselves.  What Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak have to be worrying about is what he REALLY wants.

What a difference a year makes, eh ?  From winners to ousted in one round, all due to a couple of errors on everyone's part during the year.

Ive been a semi-fan of the Heat since Riley's first run with the team, mostly because I love Riley's coaching style.  When Shaq joined the team, I was really happy, because Im a huge fan of Shaq, who is probably the best ambassador the NBA currently has amongst it's current roster of players.  All that being said, there are some definite issues for the Heat to address this coming off-season. 

First off, Shaq.  Let's be blunt here, he's got MAYBE 3-5 years left in his career, and that's only if he plays partial seasons.  When he is healthy and in shape, he's unstoppable, but that's a mighty big IF.   Whether he likes it or not, it's time for him to admit he's best off in a role similar to that of a Mutumbo, come off the bench.  Either that, or just put him on the injured reserve until after the all-star break and let him play half a season.  Shaq is my favorite player next to Nash, but in all honesty he is not keeping himself in the shape he has to be in to keep up with today's NBA.  He needs to set aside his ego and do what's best for the team.

Next off, Dwayne Wade.  This guy is fabulous, but fragile.  Wade needs to work on his conditioning more, in order to withstand the pounding that his style requires him to sustain.  This is what, the 3rd year in a row that Wade's injuries have been a factor during either the regular or post-season?  Obviously, Wade need to make some adjustments to keep himself healthy for a whole season, or he needs to change his game to accomodate his fragility.

The rest of the team.  Fortunately, the Heat play in the Eastern Conference, which means all they have to do is play just over .500 ball to make the playoffs.  If I were Riles I would shoot just for that.  He has enough experience on his squad to make up for lack of home-court advantage.  They need 1 more scorer, 1 spot scorer, and 1 more defensive stopper in their starting 5 to give Shaq and Wade the help they need when defenses close down on them. 

The bench unit however needs some work, they are defensive enough to hold a lead, but not enough of a scoring threat to build on a lead when they are called in when Shaq or Wade is in foul trouble.   They need to get a little younger, and little quicker, and a little cockier in their attitude, and believe that they are there for just as important a reason as a Shaq or a Wade is, to win the game and help their team anyway they can.

To be a success in the playoffs, the Heat need a healthy, fresh Shaq and a healthy, fresh Wade, along with 3 solid roleplayers (score, spot-score, defense), and a quick, athletic bench.  With Shaq on your team even at 50%, you have a chance to win any single game, but you need more than that to win a title.

It's time to look at the benches of the NBA (Atlanta, Pacers, and Sonics spring to mind), along with some key draft picks in this year's draft, and one or two key signings from the european leagues, and the Heat will be solid contenders once again.

Ok, that's five blogs in one sitting, Im going to take a bit of a break, and give you folks time to read and respond.

I will be back with the rest of my blog series, however, and continue with my takes on the following teams:

Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets.

The end of this series will be an all-encompassing blog reviewing what the other teams who did not make the playoffs this year should be looking at doing for next year.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy!